Apparatus for sorting thin rubber articles



Aug. 2, 1955 J. R. GAMMETER 2,714,451

APPARATUS FDR SORTING THIN RUBBER ARTICLES Filed Jan. 24, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

JOHN 1?. 6A MME TER ATTORNEY Aug. 2, 1955 Filed Jan 24, 1951 J. R. GAMM ETER APPARATUS FOR SORTING THIN RUBBER ARTICLES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

y JOHN R. GAMMETER MM ATTORNEY Aug. 2,- 1955 J. R. GAMMETER APPARATUS FOR SORTING THIN RUBBER ARTICLES '5 SheetsSheet 3 Filed Jan. 24, 1951 IN V EN TOR.

JOHN R. GAMMETER ATTORNEY United States Patent APPARATUS FOR 0RTING THIN RUBBER ARTICLES John R. Gamrneter, Akron, Ohio Application January 24, 1951, Serial No. 207,547

8 Claims. (Cl. 209-74) This invention relates to apparatus for sorting articles, and in particular to apparatus for sorting thin, hollow rubber articles, such as prophylactics, after the same have been tested for defects.

In Gammeter iatent No. 2,221,323, there is disclosed a machine by which dipped rubber articles received on moving forms of electro-conductive material are electrically tested for imperviousness, by rolling the forms against a flexible, electroconductive element, whereby defects in the articles are electrically manifested by passage of an electrical current from the flexible element through perforations or thin spots in the goods, to the forms. In Gamrueter Patent No. 2,371,818 there is shown a satisfactory device for removing the articles from the forms after the same have been tested on such an electrical tester, but this article-removing device removed all good articles remaining on forms upon passing over the device, and required provision of separate means for removing pervious or otherwise imperfect articles from the forms, as manifested by the electrical tester. The first'named Gammeter patent teaches the use of air-blowing the imperfect articles from the forms, but this required provision of air passages in the forms, opening at the ends of the same, with a resultant reduction in the efficiency of the electrical testing procedure.

()ne object of the present invention is to provide an improved unitary device for sorting articles of the character described into separate classifications as the same are received by the device from a given point, thereby obviating the necessity for having separate article takeoff units for articles of diiferent classifications.

Another object of the invention is to provide in testing apparatus of the character described, improved article take-oil means which does not reduce the efficiency of the testing operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved article take-off means of the character described which will effectively roll thin, hollow rubber articles of the character described on testing forms thereof and which will eject the articles from the forms without unrolling the same.

These and other objects of the invention will be manifest from the following brief description and the accompanying drawings.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of an electrical testing machine, illustrating units thereof for testing, ejecting, and sorting thin rubber articles.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-section, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially on the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a schematic wiring diagram, illustrating electrical control means for the testing machine.

Figure 4 is a vertical cross-section, similar to Figure 2, illustrating a modification of the invention.

Referring particularly to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, the numerals 1t), 1t) designate a plurality of elongated metal forms supported on mountings 11, 11 pcripherally spaced on an annular conveyor or plate 12, the forms being rotatable about longitudinal axes thereof and extending freely radially inwardly of the conveyor. The conveyor is mounted to be rotatable in a horizontal plane about a fixed circular table 13, in clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 1, to convey the forms 10 in succession through an electrical testing unit T which manifests defects, such as perforations or thin spots in dipped rubber articles on the forms, and to convey the forms past an article-ejecting unit E in cooperating relationship to a funnel or receptacle 14 of an article-sorting unit S, mounted on table 13. A suitable power driven mechanism, such as is shown in said prior Patent No. 2,221,323, is provided for rotating the conveyor. The forms 10 are cylindrical and rounded at the free ends of the same to receive thereon correspondingly shaped thin rubber prophylactics, in distended unwrinkled condition.

For electrically testing the articles A, the forms 10 containing the same are moved in succession, as described, under a draped flexible, elcctro-conductive element 15, such as fine wire mesh fabric of the type used for ladies handbags, each form while so engaging the element being rotated against the same by engagement of a pinion 16a thereon with an arcuate toothed rack 13:: on the fixed table 13. The mesh element and the respective forms are suitably connected in an electrical circuit (see Figure 3) providing a source of high potential current (say 1200 volts), the circuit being normally open by presence of a dielectric thin rubber article interposed between its form and the mesh element. Presence of a pin hole or perforation, or a thin spot in an article, however, is manifested by closing of the electrical circuit through the same to operate suitable electrical control means, such as is shown in Figure 3, including an electromagnet 42 of the article-sorting unit S, and a series of cam-operated switches, to be described in further detail later.

The article-ejecting unit B may be of a suitable type, such as is shown in said Patent No. 2,371,818. Accordingly, a fabric reinforced rubber V -belt 29 is extended between spaced pulleys 21 and 22 rotatably mounted on a bracket 23 to have an elongated, substantially straight upper reach of the belt positioned in the arcuate path of the lower portions of the forms 1%, the belt being driven to move said upper reach thereof inwardly and thereby engage the articles lengthwise to strip the same from the respective forms. When the articles A are provided with integral reinforcing bead rings 24, the belt may be driven at desired linear speed with relation to the speed of the conveyor to engage the rings 24 and roll the articles upon themselves toward the free inner ends of the forms, and finally to eject the rolled article into the outwardly presented open mouth 25 of funnel 14. Eflicient removal of the articles from the forms is assured by arrangement of the upper reach a of belt 20 to be at a slight angle to the longitudinal axes of the forms in the article-ejecting positions (see Figures 1 and 2) thereof.

The belt 20 may be driven as described, by a belt 26 between a pulley 27, keyed on the same shaft as pulley 21, and a pulley 28 on the output shaft 2? of a motor 36, which for the present purposes may be continuously run ning. Bracket 23 is shown suitably constructed for adjusting the position of the upper reach of belt 20 for correct engagement with the forms.

As all articles A will be stripped from the respective forms 10 passing over the V-belt 20, and projected into the funnel 14 of unit S, the latter is provided with improved means for separating the good articles from imperfect articles as manifested by the tester T. Accordingly, the funnel, rearwardly of the mouth thereof, may be rectangular in cross-section and divided into two separate front and rear channels or compartments 32 and 33,

.5 as by a wall 34, for reception of bad and good articles, respectively, the inlet ends of the respective compartments being below or closely adjacent the lower edge of the mouth of the funnel, and the lower or outlet ends of the compartments terminating divergently to open into separate portable containers resting on the floor and adapted to contain predetermined quantities of the separated articles (see Figure 4).

For separating the ejected articles into the respective compartments 32 or 33, a rectangular deflector plate or closure member 35 is hinged at the top of the dividing wall 34, to be swingable from a position (shown in full lines in Figure 2), in which it closes off the forward compartment, the plate in the forward position being supported at a downward and inward inclination, with the forward or free edge thereof against the lower edge portion of the mouth 25 of the funnel, to deflect the good articles into the rear compartment, and in a rear position being supported against the rear wall of the funnel for deflecting the bad articles into the forward compartment. For swinging the deflector plate between these two positions, an outward extension 36 of a pivotal shaft 57 thereof has fixed thereon an arm 38, to which is pivoted an extension 39 of a movable armature 40 of a solenoid or electromagnet 42, mounted on the underside of fixed table 13. Deflector plate 35 may be of non-static material, such as redwood, Micarta, phenolic resin or it may be covered with such non-static material, to obviate electrostatic attraction of the rubber articles A thereto which might interfere with cfiicient movement of the articles within the funnel.

Operation of the improved sorting apparatus for testing thin rubber articles, such as prophylactics A applied to the metal forms 19 in known manner, will be described specifically by reference to the wiring diagram of Figure 3, in conjunction with the drawings generally.

in normal operation of the testing machine, a pair of conventional electronic relays R1 and R2, connected in the wiring circuit shown in Figure 3, have contacts and 47, respectively, thereof in open condition. The contacts 45 and 47 remain open as long as good articles are passing under the net 15 of the electrical testing unit T (see Figures 1 and 3). These relays will not be eflfective to operate the electromagnet 42 of sorting unit S (see Figures 2 and 3). There will be 110 volts connected to a primary side 44 of a transformer B at all times, through lines L1 and L2, as indicated by a neon lamp N. There will also be current supplied to various parts of the wiring circuit, but such current is normally insufficient to energize coils in the relays R1 and R2, or a bad goods flasher signal W (Figure 3). Should a form 10 containing a bad article A pass under the net 15, however, the net is grounded through the bad spot to a form and through the secondary side 43 of the transformer B, the voltage on said primary side 44 being preset according to the type or thickness of an article A being tested (as an example to produce a surge of 750 volts A. C. for each .001 inch of thickness of the article).

Closing of the secondary side 43 of the transformer in this manner sets off the primary side 44 thereof (110 volt side), which is variable in accordance with the thickness of the articles, thereby creating a temporary surge of current which, through lines L1 and L3, momentarily lights up a signal lamp W acting as a resistance and indicates that a bad article has passed from the testing unit and energizes the coil of the first relay or activating means R1 at the same time, through lines L1 and L3, thereby magnetically locking the contact 45 in closed position to the left (Figure 3). As the article form A under consideration leaves the net 15 and another form is about to move under the same it becomes necessary to open the contact 45 of first relay R1 for a subsequent independent test of the article on another form A. Accordingly, a cam 46 prelocated on the conveyor, 12 (see Figure 2) to be opposite to the form of the tested article (there being one such cam for each form), engages and closes a normally open micro-switch M1, which is the first of a series of four micro-switches mounted on the fixed table 13, in predetermined circumferentially spaced relation (see Figure l), the upper reach 20a of the belt 2%) of the ejecting unit B being substantially aligned with the effective cam-engaging point of the third, normally open, micro-switch Ms of the series (see Figure 1). Thus, closing the first, normally open, micro-switch M1 of the series, through lines L1 and Lt, energizes the coil of a second relay or holding means R2 in the compound circuit, thereby magnetically locking a contact 47 thereof in closed position to the left (Figure 3), which holds a source of current through contact 47 in readiness for subsequent ejecting and sorting operations independently of a testing operation on the next succeeding form passing through the testing unit T. Immediately before the tested form moves into contact with the nioving'belt 2d of the ejecting unit E (Figures 1 and 2) the cam 46 momentarily operates the second, normally closed, micro-switch M2 of said series to open the line through the same, and thereby deenergizes and opens the first relay R1 for said next succeeding test, switch M1 being held closed by the same cam until switch M2 has been fully opened by cam The form It? with tested article A thereon is conveyed into contact with said upper reach of moving belt 20, thereby to roll article A from the end of the form and eject it toward the mouth 25 of funnel 14. Simultaneously with such ejection of tested article A the cam 46 engages and closes the normally open third micro-switch M3 of said series of cams and thereby, through the previously closed contact 47 of the holding relay R2 and lines L5 and L1, to close a circuit to the solenoid 4i. Energization of the solenoid 42 moves the armature 40 thereof and extension arm 39 to pivot arm 3% with shaft 36 (Figure 2), thereby to swing the deflector plate 35 from the full line or good goods position shown in Figure 2 to the bad goods position shown in chain-dotted lines. The ejected article is thus deflected into the forward compartment 32 of the funnel and conveyed to the removable bad goods container 42*; (see Figure 4). The same (third) switch M3 may be utilized for operating other article ejecting devices than that shown herein, such as the air-blast type ejector means shown in prior Gammeter Patent No. 2,221,323.

Immediately upon the defective article being ejected from its form as described, the cam 46 will engage the fourth (normally closed) micro-switch M4, to open the same and thereby deenergize the coil of holding relay R2 to open contact 47 thereof, ready for the next or any succeeding form containing goods which has been manifested as being bad by the testing unit T. The weight of the deflector plate and other movable parts between the same and the electromagnet will cause the deflector to return to said good goods position immediately upon deenergization of the electromagnet 42, in which position the articles are ejected by belt 20 into the funnel compartment 33 and received in a container 49.

A bare form passing under the tester T will merely operate the circuit to operate the sorting unit S as described above.

In other words, and more briefly stated, the first relay R1 temporarily manifests the presence of a defective article on a given form passing through the testing unit T and the second relay R2 holds potential current in the circuit to the electromagnet 42 ready for energization of the electromagnet at a later time, that is, when the third micro-switch is closed substantially simultaneously with ejection of the article toward funnel 14. The four microswitches M1, M2, M3, and M4 are operated by a cam 46 associated with a given form 16 containing a tested thin rubber article A, in timed sequence with movement of the form conveyor, to set the relays R1 and R2 for the purposes previously described.

Thus, has been provided efficient and eifective apparatus for testing, stripping, and sorting thin rubber articles, which does not require separate take-off and article-receiving units in different locations on the testing machine for handling the two classes of goods.

Referring now to Figure 4, there is shown a form of the invention in which the article-ejecting and article-sorting units are substantially as before, like parts, therefore, being given like designations unless otherwise noted. The apparatus, however, includes improved means for assisting the ejection of thin rubber articles of the type having reduced hollow tips on the ends thereof, which have had a tendency to adhere to the reduced end of similarly shaped forms and thereby to unroll at the end of the take off. This unrolling of the articles has required separate operations to reroll the same to flat compact size for packaging.

Accordingly, at the point when an article A1, on a form which has barely passed over the belt ll) of the ejecting unit E has been substantially completely rolled upon itself by said belt, as shown in full lines in Figure 4, a nozzle 50 is operated to direct a blast of air between the reduced tip 51 of the form and the nippled end of the article. This assists ejection of the article into funnel 14 without unrolling the article. The air-blast for this purpose may be supplied from a suitable source of compressed air (not shown), through a solenoid operated air valve (not shown), either cam actuated by the micro-switch M3, or by a separately cam-operated switch. Without the air-blast from nozzle 50, or equivalent means, the rolled articles have a tendency to cling to the tips 51 of the forms and thereby miss being ejected into the funnel.

The ejecting and sorting apparatus of Figure 4 other wise operates as described above in connection with Figures 1 to 3, the good and bad goods being deposited from outlet ends 52 and 53 of the funnel compartments 33 and 32 into suitable containers 4-9 and 48.

Other modifications of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for sorting thin rubber articles, comprising a conveyor having a series of forms thereon extending freely for receiving the articles to be moved in succession along a path, a receptacle having a mouth opening toward said path, said receptacle having a plurality of chambers therein for different classes of articles, said chambers having inlet openings inwardly of said mouth, a closure member shiftable to open one or other of the inlet openings of said chambers, testing means successively manifesting said different classes of articles on said forms, article ejecting means in cooperation with said receptacle for ejecting the articles in succession from said forms into said mouth of the receptacle, a mechanism for shifting said closure member, releasable activating means preset by said testing means manifesting a predetermined class of article on a given said form, holding means preset in coordination with movement of said given form away from the testing means and operable for releasing said activating means in readiness for a next succeeding operation thereon, means operable through said preset holding means in coordination with further movement of said given form into article ejecting position with respect to said receptacle for actuating said mechanism and thereby to shift said closure member to close one said chamber inlet opening and to open the other for receiving an article ejected from the given form into said mouth.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, said ejecting means comprising an endless belt, means for moving said endless belt to have a reach thereof engage successive said forms lengthwise longitudinally of the axes thereof as the forms move along said path, initially to engage the article on each form from the open end of Cir 6 the same toward the closed end thereof to roll the article upon itself and remove it from the form.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, said ejecting means comprising an endless belt, means for moving said endless belt to have a reach thereof engage successive said forms lengthwise longitudinally of the axes thereof as the forms move along said path, initially to engage the article on each form from the open end of the same toward the closed end thereof to roll the article upon itself and remove it from the form, auxiliary means being provided to be adjacent the free ends of the forms in coordination with said ejecting means and operable when the articles are substantially fully rolled on the respective forms to assist complete removal of the rolled articles from the free ends of the forms.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, said ejecting means comprising an endless belt, means for moving said endless belt to have a reach thereof engage successive said forms lengthwise longitudinally of the axes thereof as the forms move along said path, initially to engage the article on each form from the open end of the same toward the closed end thereof to roll the article upon itself and remove it from the form, auxiliary means being provided to be adjacent the free ends of the forms in coordination with said ejecting means and operable when the articles are substantially fully rolled on the respective forms to assist complete removal of the rolled articles from the free ends of the forms, said auxiliary means including a pressure-fluid supplying device operable to direct blasts of pressure-fluid behind the rolledup articles.

5. Apparatus for sorting thin rubber articles, comprising a conveyor having a series of forms thereon extending freely for receiving the articles to be moved in succession along a path, a receptacle having a mouth opening toward said path, said receptacle having separate chambers therein for different classes of articles, said chambers having adjacent inlet openings inwardly of said mouth, a closure member shiftable to open one or other of the inlet openings of said chambers, a testing device successively manifesting distinguishing characteristics of articles on said forms as they are moved in succession by the conveyor past said testing device, article ejecting means in cooperation with said receptacle for ejecting the tested articles in succession from said forms into said mouth of the receptacle, and a mechanism operated by said condition-manifesting testing device for shifting said closure member to open one or the other of said chamber inlet openings for receiving an article of corresponding said distinguishing characteristic ejected from the conveyor into said month, said closure member comprising a deflector pivotally mounted intermediate said inlet openings and being swingable between oppositely disposed angular positions adapted to prevent entry of articles into one inlet opening and deflect the same into the other inlet opening, said deflector having outer surface portions of non-magnetic material to obviate electrostatic attraction of the rubber articles thereto.

6. Apparatus for sorting thin rubber articles, comprising a conveyor having a series of forms thereon extending freely for receiving the articles to be moved in succession along a path, a receptacle having a mouth opening toward said path, said receptacle having separate chambers therein for different classes of articles, said chambers having adjacent inlet openings inwardly of said mouth, a closure member shiftable to open one or other of the inlet openings of said chambers, a testing device successively manifesting distinguishing characteristics of articles on said forms as they are moved in succession by the conveyor past said testing device, article ejecting means in cooperation with said receptacle for ejecting the tested articles in succession from said forms into said mouth of the receptacle, and a mechanism operated by said condition-manifesting means for shifting said closure member to open one or other of said chamber inlet openings for receiving an article of corresponding said distinguishing characteristic ejected from the conveyor into said mouth, said closure member comprising a deflector pivotally mounted intermediate said inlet openings andbeing swingable between oppositely disposed angular positions adapted to prevent entry of articles into one inlet opening and deflect the same into the other inlet opening, said mechanism including an electrical circuit and an electromagnet therein operable to swing said deflector from one said angular position to the other, and control means coordinated with movement of each successive form and initiated by said testing device for closing said circuit when an article of a predetermined distinguishing characteristic is ejected from its form by said ejecting means.

7, Apparatus for sorting thin rubber articles, comprising a conveyor having a series of forms thereon extending freely for receiving the articles to be moved in succession along a path, a receptacle having a mouth opening toward said path, said receptacle having a plurality of chambers therein for difierent classes of articles, said chambers having inlet openings inwardly of said mouth, a closure member shiftable to open one or other of the inlet openings of said chambers, means successively manifesting said diiierent classes of articles on said forms, article ejecting means in cooperation with said receptacle for ejecting the articles in succession from said forms into said mouth of the receptacle, and a device operated by said condition-manifesting means for shifting said closure member to open one or other of said chamber inlet openings for receiving an article ejected from the conveyor into said mouth, said device including a condition-manifesting relay and a holding relay in electrical circuit, switch means operated by movement of the conveyor for providing potential current in said holding relay through said condition-manifesting relay and releasing the latter for a subsequent operation, a switch operated by movement of the conveyor for operating said device through said holding relay in the article-ejecting positions of the forms, and a switch thereafter operated by movement of the conveyor for resetting said holding relay for a said subsequent operation.

8. Apparatus for sorting thin rubber articles, comprising a conveyor having a series of forms thereon extending freely for receiving the articles to be moved in succession along a path, a receptacle having a mouth opening toward said path, said receptacle having at least two chambers therein for different classes of articles, said chambers having adjacent inlet openings inwardly of said mouth, a closure member shiftable to open one or other of the inlet openings of said chambers, means successively manifesting said diiferent classes of articles on said forms, article ejecting means in cooperation with said rece tacle for ejecting the articles in succession from said i s into said mouth of the receptacle, and a device operated by said condition-manifesting means for shifting said closure member to open one or other of said chamber inlet openings for receiving an article ejected from the conveyor into said mouth, said closure member comprising a deflector pivotally mounted intermediate said inlet openings and being swingable between oppositely osed angular positions adapted to prevent entry of articles into one inlet opening and deflect the same into the other inlet opening, said device including a conditioninanifesting relay and a holding relay in electrical circuit, switch means operated by movement of the conveyor for providing potential current in said holding relay through said condition-manifesting relay and releasing the latter for a subsequent operation, a switch operated by movement of the conveyor for operating said device through said holding relay in the article-ejecting positions of the forms, and a switch thereafter operated by 1novement of the conveyor for resetting said holding relay for a said subsequent operation,

tenses Cited in the file of this patent UNETED STATES PATENTS 

